Powerlooms in MP going to seed

Recall the documentary on Afghanistan families to justify military action on Kandahar after the 9/11 attack? There's a town in Madhya Pradesh called Burhanpur which will remind you of that, where families of 35 or more live in 10 feet by 8 feet rooms. And, they run small powerloom units that feed textile units, printers, and stationery units.

About 250,000 people live in this historical town, once ruled by Abdul Rahim Khan-i-Khanan, son of Bairam Khan, Emperor Akbar's guardian. His grandson Shahjahan liked the city and called it "Bab-e-Deccan" (gateway to the south).

Pulmonary diseases are common here. However, District Tuberculosis Officer Harsh Verma is content with saying, "Tuberculosis is caused by bacteria and not powerlooms."

The district administration is more interested in curbing animal slaughter and showcasing places of tourism. "Tourism is my priority and I want a good coverage for places of tourist importance. Local tribes are allowed to enter the city for animal slaughter just for a week beginning today," Veena Ghanekar, district collector, told Business Standard. The town produces 25"�60 lakh metres of cotton cloth everyday.

Though the central government has sanctioned a technology upgrade fund (TUF) of Rs 25,000 crore, Burhanpur has not got anything. It has been largely ignored by NGOs and human rights activists.

"The town has the maximum number of tuberculosis patients in Asia. Almost 9"�10 per cent of Asia's tuberculosis victims are in Burhanpur. Many are asthmatic too," Ghanekar said, adding, "dust and cotton particles in powerloom units are the main reason. We are trying to organise camps for them."

The weavers have no space to expand their units. "If they try to remove the powerlooms, the looms will reduced to scraps because they are relicts of the 1950s. Banks refuse loans and sanction only to cooperatives," activist Mohammed Ikram Ansari said.

However, the district administration is planning to shift weavers to an area of 250 acres. "We are working out a plan in this regard," said Ghanekar.

The decline began in 1986, when the state started facing power shortages and slapped an entry tax on cotton. There were 150 powerloom cooperative committees in the state. Of them, 99 were functioning. Though no data are available, of 32,871 powerlooms in MP, 26,700 are in Burhanpur.

"All these units are of an ancient vintage and need to be replaced by modern sizing and processing units," said Fareed Sheikh, owner of a processing unit, adding, "each processing unit needs at least Rs 2 crore for modernisation. The modernisation will at least trigger demand for powerloom textiles."

"We get power at 6 in the evening for just three-four hours. We cannot thus meet orders," a master weaver complained, adding, "the state electricity board threatens weavers with penal action, if they fail to pay power bills."

The Ikram Ansari committee had recommended cut in reconnection fee for powerloom weavers, sparing Burhanpur from power cuts, and captive power generation in cluster areas.

Moreover, the MP Powerloom Bunkar Sahkari Sangh, an institution set up for placing orders with weavers, has not done well. The board of the organisation has been dissolved and weavers are now deprived of insurance, training, and modernisation.

Industry Minister Kailash Chawla, who recently gave industry status to the sector, has promised to look into the matter.